New Zealand in pictures: Marlborough

The third leg of our New Zealand adventure took us to Marlborough, for the International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration, which kicked off with a haka performed by local school children. The three-day event attracted the cream of the New Zealand wine industry and a eclectic group of wine journalists from all corners of the globe.

First to speak was American wine critic Matt Kramer, who delivered a characteristically controversial sermon on his belief that there is no culture of Sauvignon Blanc anywhere in the world, which is holding New Zealand producers back from charging a premium for their wines.

At the end of day one attendees kicked back and enjoyed a glass or three of Sauvignon at Paripuma Gardens in the Awatere Valley.

Foodies were in for a treat, as the garden was dotted with tents serving all manner of delicious morsels, from fish ‘n’ chips to this giant paella.

Day two saw speeches from Steve Smith MW, Chris Brandolino, Dr Roger Boulton and Tim Hanni MW, who rocked the boat by proclaiming that the concept of food and wine pairing is “bulls*t”. After an eventful day at the conference we headed en masse to Marisco River Hut in Renwick for a ‘Where the Wild Things Are’-themed party.

During the evening we were treated to performances by three live bands, including a set from these quirky characters – five piece rock band The Butlers from Christchurch, one of whom had crafted a battle helmet from a Double Brown beer box.

db’s Lucy Shaw was delighted to catch up with the ever effervescent Hannah Burns, who moved back to her homeland to work at Craggy Range after a stint in London working for Accolade. Burns recently took on the role of marketing manager at The Coterie in Marlborough.

Strapping Scot, Archie McDiarmid of Luvians in St Andrews proved an indefatigable party animal throughout the trip.

The full moon hovers over the vines in Renwick

The final day of the conference included insightful and informative speeches by Justin Howard-Sneyd MW, Sarah Heller MW, Debra Meiburg and Paul Mabray. For the final hurrah, we all donned our white togs for the ‘blanc’ gala dinner within the gorgeous grounds of Brancott Estate on a gloriously sunny summer evening.

The white theme was creatively interpreted by some of the guests. Our favourite costume was sported by Ben Glover of The Coterie, who channelled Julius Caesar in a white toga and laurel leaf headdress.

We also loved these Breaking Bad-inspired boiler suits – Walter White would be proud…

Mel Brown of The New Zealand Cellar in London’s Brixton went all out wither a magnificent, mermaid-style sequined onesie, while Irish wine writer Corinna Hardgrave kept it chic in a classy evening gown.

Tim Hanni MW didn’t get the white dress code memo…

Over a feast of wild salmon and local lamb, we were entertained by our larger-than-life master of ceremonies Luke Bird, aka The Birdman.

The ‘blanc’ party finished in style with a set from the ridiculously talented Troy Kingi, who starred alongside Sam Neill in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. His soulful, bluesy sound reminded us of Gregory Porter.